Great Interview

...with the Beastie Boys. I heart them.

Funny story, that's a different link, so let's talk about it for a second. The first one I posted up was from CHUD, a really excellent movie site. The second one is The Onion, a really hilarious faux newspaper.

Now, I want to state outright, that I do NOT think what I'm posting below is plagarism. But check out the introduction to the CHUD interview, compared to the introduction to the Onion interview:

CHUD: Nobody could have imagined when License to Ill came out the Beastie Boys would become an institution. Hell, at the time nobody could have imagined that these three New York Ciy Jews with frat raps about beer and partying would have the first number one hip hop record. Back in the day when listening to Paul’s Boutique (I hated License on its release – full disclosure here. It came out just when I was crossing over from all rock/punk to more inclusive tastes, and the album felt like a co-option and cashing in. I took all my punk “ethics” with me), I wouldn't have for one second even considered the idea that I would ever interview them. Now, 20 years later, they have a big screen concert movie called Awesome; I Fuckin’ Shot That - which meant I would actually have that chance.

THE ONION: When the Beastie Boys released Licensed To Ill in 1986, no one could have guessed that a silly Jewish hip-hop trio from New York—King Ad-Rock (Adam Horovitz), Mike D (Michael Diamond), and MCA (Adam Yauch)—would outlast their own novelty, much less become one of the most innovative groups in hip-hop. Buoyed by the hit "Fight For Your Right (To Party)," Licensed To Ill became history's first number-one-selling hip-hop album, but the Beastie Boys' goofy shtick (reinforced by their usually juvenile concerts) seemed destined for a short lifespan. Which was true—because the group got bored with it.

After falling out with producer Rick Rubin and Def Jam, the label Rubin co-owned with Russell Simmons, the Beastie Boys redefined themselves on 1989's Paul's Boutique. The densely layered, sample-heavy album was an artistic triumph, though its departure from Licensed To Ill's style led to low sales. In time, Paul's Boutique became a cult hit and earned the Beastie Boys artistic credibility, which grew when they used live instruments on 1992's Check Your Head. The album became a hit, and so did its 1994 successor, Ill Communication. On subsequent albums—1998's Hello Nasty and 2004's To The 5 Boroughs—Beastie Boys expanded further and got back to basics, respectively, while always maintaining its sonic fearlessness.

While not exact word for word, it emphasizes how few things there are to say about anyone, even people who have had long, prosperous careers like the Beastie Boys. Who I love. Sigh.